The United States Olympic Committee has said that athletes concerned for their health over the Zika virus should consider not going to the Rio Olympics.
The message was delivered in a conference call involving USOC officials and leaders of US sport federations. Full details of the call last month haven’t been made public.
However, President of USA Fencing Donald Anthony said that athletes were advised that no one should go to Brazil ‘if they don't feel comfortable going. Bottom line’.
The USOC's briefing to sport federations is the latest sign that Olympics officials are taking the Zika threat to the Games in Rio de Janeiro seriously.
The United States won most medals at the last Olympics in London in 2012, so any disruption to its presence would have a significant impact on the Rio games.
Global health authorities suspect the mosquito-borne Zika virus has caused a spike in Brazil of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head.
As a result, the World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency, with pregnant women or those considering becoming pregnant advised to avoid travel to places with Zika outbreaks.
"One of the things that they immediately said was, especially for women that may be pregnant or even thinking of getting pregnant, that whether you are scheduled to go to Rio or no, that you shouldn't go,” said Anthony, himself a former Olympian.
"And no one should go if they feel at all as though that that threat could impact them."
Zika outbreaks have been reported in 33 countries, most of them in the Americas. Symptoms of infection are often mild or imperceptible.
But the outbreak in Brazil that began last year has been accompanied by more than 4,000 cases of suspected microcephaly; investigators have confirmed more than 400. The link to Zika is unproven but strongly suspected.
In El Salvador, which is experiencing outbreaks of the virus, women are being advised to put off pregnancy until 2018.
Will Connell, Director of Sport at the US Equestrian Federation, said the USOC was leaving the decision up to individual athletes and staff members.
"They said no one who has reasons to be concerned should feel obliged to go," Connell said. "If an athlete feels that way, of course they may decide not to go."
The USOC are not thought to be concerned that large numbers of athletes would avoid Rio or that Zika could derail the Games.
Instead, officials expressed optimism that risk would be minimized by close cooperation among health agencies, mosquito control efforts and the Games' timing during Brazil's winter when mosquito-borne illnesses are less common.
